Story of the Whirlwind and the Storm
by MeganBellaRoseBlack
Summary: When you strip away the legend of the companions, the adventures, the impossible mind and the incredible blue box, what're you left with? A man - an extraordinary one, yes. But a man none-the-less. And even the greatest of men occasionally need someone to lean on.


**So I've not written for a while and I just really wanted to put something down. I don't know if this is any good, and I've not read through it at all. Do let me know what you think, reviews literally make my day! Thank you so much for reading. **

**MBRB'xoxo**

Another planet saved. Another race forever in his debt. Another day over for the Doctor. It was so simple when you thought about it. All he needed to do was turn up in his faithful blue box, formulate a brilliant plan that could be thought of by no one but him and then put that plan into action. He'd take his 'thank you's' if they came, and if they didn't that was just as well. Either way, he'd hop back in his TARDIS and off he'd go. Off to another world where an even more fantastical plan was required.

The Doctor and his TARDIS. There were no other characters in his legend. When parents sat down with their children and tucked them up into bed, there were never any questions about the people in the Doctors life. There were no thoughts about who the Doctor went back to his box with and stayed up the whole night talking to. Nobody wondered if their hero ever got lonely. Because of course he didn't. You don't hear a story about a wonderful, impossible man who wanders around the universe popping into planets and saving their entire population and think to yourself 'but who was by his side? Doesn't he want someone to congratulate him?'. If there is someone by his side, someone who keeps him going, then he's not your impossible man anymore. He's just like you. Who can have a superman that turns to their companion and says 'What do I do?'. Nobody wants a figure to admire that has those horrific moments when you just want the ground to swallow you up and for everything to end, because if you need to save your hero from themselves, then who is going to save you? And so the Doctors stories that are told involve master plans, improbably and impossible escapes and his bigger-on-the-inside box. Very rarely they'll include someone he needs to save. A blonde girl with a pretty name. A fiery red haired damsel in distress. An attitude filled woman with spiral curls. They forget their names and they don't know who they are to the Doctor. As the stories pass down through time and space, the characters get confused. Was it Lily, Rose or Poppy? Was she red or brunette? A woman or a girl? It always boiled down to this; it didn't matter. The Doctor saves people. That's what he does. That's who he is. Who needs to known about the princess when the knight is oh so fascinating? And so the stories end and the dreams take over. And everything is fine because he steps through his blue doors and waits for the next adventure.

...

The Doctor walks through the doors of his one constant companion and sighs heavily. Another chapter had been added to the great myth that was The Doctor. But things didn't feel the same lately. No one fell through those doors with him anymore, buzzing and chirping on about what had happened, how brilliant he was and where were they off to next? No one was there to admire him as he brushed down the lapels of his jacket, dusted off his bowtie and flew around the consol of the TARDIS pretending to press buttons as she decided where they were going. There was no one to be brilliant for.

'Let's take a break, yeah, sexy? Let's just float around for a bit. I'm too tired.' He spoke aloud as he leant against her consol, his left hand absent-mindedly spinning around a button. She hummed in agreement and he felt the familiar sensation of spinning through time with no destination. And nobody to impress.

He dropped to the floor, his long limbs splaying out wherever they wanted to and he allowed his head to drop back and rest against the TARDIS. He was so lonely. It was a feeling that he had felt before, it was true, but there was always someone that he could go and find and pick up. There was always someone waiting for him. Donna had been watching for him for so long. Amy even longer. He had kept them waiting for so long and now it was his turn to wait he supposed. Perhaps this was pay back? But the difference this time was that he had no one waiting for him now. There wasn't a soul that was watching the skies in hope of a flash of blue to interrupt the light from the stars and that was something that was completely new to him. As he sat there on the cool floor, he realised that it was a sensation he didn't like. Time Lords needed to be needed. So what was their purpose if they weren't needed anymore? He knew that he would have to reach another destination eventually and save another planet with his marvellous mind, but he just felt so old. There was no rest for the wicked. He didn't sleep much – he didn't need it – but he was feeling so tired and fragile at that moment that he allowed his eye lids to droop and his breathing to become slower. Maybe if he just rested for a couple hours...

His near sleep was interrupted by a bright light and a familiar smell filling the air. His eyes shot open and a small smile formed on his lips as he saw the wonderful, wonderful woman who stood before him.

'Hello Sweetie' she greeted him, one hand on her hip and the other curled around a large, alien looking gun. Her vortex manipulator buzzed lightly on her wrist as she looked down at him with a smug expression on her face. When she was met with silence, she frowned slightly. 'What, no snide remark? No questions on how I magically managed to get inside the TARDIS even though you think she'd untraceable? No 'River, for god sakes''?' The Doctor shook his head slightly.

'Nothing you do surprises me anymore.' He said simply. And it was true. She could do nothing that would shock him. She was a mystery and one doesn't get surprised at how a mystery works because the improbably is never impossible. River Song walked over to where he was sat and stood above him briefly.

'The very least you can do is admire my dress before I sit down there with you.' She told him. His eyes looked over the dress that she was wearing and he smiled slightly. He couldn't help himself. It was made mostly of black lace with material underneath the main bulk of it so that it wasn't completely see-through. The sleeves were complete lace and her creamy skin contrasted beautifully with the lace and the plunging neckline had a little border that had no material beneath it to block the suggestive peak at her cleavage. It was a beautiful 60's inspired mini dress that flared out slightly at the waist, bringing attention to her slender exposed legs which ended with a pair of shining red heels. Happy that he had noticed how stunning she was looking, she flopped down beside him and stretched her legs out before her. 'You had better remember this dress' she stage whispered to him. 'You buy it for me'. The Doctor glanced at her in surprise – she never told him about his future. Her eyes flew open in mock surprise and she held a hand tipped with red nails in front of her mouth. 'Oh! Spoilers...' she winked at him cheekily and a small laugh passed his lips. He could never sulk when River was there. She was too infectious.

They sat in silence for a while as the Doctor fiddled with the hem of his jacket and River happily clipper her heels together and shook her head from side to side with an imaginary beat. She knew that he would talk to her eventually; she just needed to be patient. Sure enough –

'River, how come you're here?' It wasn't really the question she expected and it caught her off guard for a second so there was a moment of silence between them as she pondered on her reply. Why _was_ she here? She knew him too well, that was why.

She bumped his shoulder lightly and gave him a small half smile.

'Because you need me to be.' She stated simply. He looked at her in surprise and their eyes met as he looked at this amazing woman.

'I don't need anyone.' He replied, looking back down at his feet that sat so happily next to hers. Her short laugh that she let out brought his eyes back to her face. She was looking at him with - what was that? Almost pity? Leaning closer to him, she parted her lips to murmur,

'You're not fooling anybody.' Her low whispered words wound around him and pulled him in. Her voice was like an answered prayed that he didn't know he had asked for and her eyes on his were comfort in the pain. He blinked at her without replying, but they both knew that she was right. She was always right. Her head came to rest on his shoulder and they both sat and watched the blinking lights that were around the consol room peacefully. They were both so deep in thought that they didn't mind that time came and went as they just stayed there on the floor.

'How did you know that I needed someone right now? How do you do that?' he asked her out of nowhere. She stayed there with her head on his shoulder and remembered all the times she had just popped in on him to find him like he was now – somewhere in the TARIDS, lonely and tired. It was easy to forget that this incredible man sometimes needed to stop and just sit for a while. Even he forgot at times and it was River who made him do that. She understood. She knew that he, more than anyone, could be surrounded by the whole universe and every creature in it, and be the loneliest person imaginable. Those times she had found him on his own, she liked to sit with him and just talk. She liked to remind him that he always had someone. He would always have her.

'Doctor, I've heard so many stories about you. There are so many truths and so many lies that even I lose track of your adventures. You turn out to be every wizard, every magician and every Greek god. How can someone that wonderful not have anyone to lean on?' He opened his mouth to interrupt, but she quickly continued. 'I know, I know. You have your companions. Of course you do. But you know what else I know? In the stories they tell, they are seldom mentioned. Why? Because they are disposable. You pick someone up, you show them the world and then they have to leave. You're always moving on and saving someone. And you're left with no one again. But sometimes the boy who saves the world needs to be saved, Doctor. Sometimes we all need someone.' Her voice came out faint, a touch of sadness lacing her words.

'And what about the girl who saves the boy?' he asked her gently, shifting so that he was looking into her eyes once more and she smiled softly. 'Who saves her?' Rivers face broke into a beaming smile and her eyes sparkled.

'Ohh don't worry about her,' she replied, her voice lighter than he had heard it for a while. She leant her head back on his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her, his hand coming to rest on her waist and his fingers absent-mindedly played with the lace of her dress. 'She has a wonderfully impossible Doctor to cure her of her troubles.'

They stayed on the floor for what seemed like forever. It may have been a page. It may have been a chapter. When you travel with the Doctor, you never know. But it didn't really matter.

The whirlwind and the storm both stopped for a while and just existed.


End file.
